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Bessma Momani

@bmomani.bsky.social

3K followers 930 following 280 posts

Professor at the University of Waterloo in Political Science and Senior Fellow at CIGI, interested in International Affairs.

Videos

Political science 34%

Economics 31%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Sushant Singh @sushantsingh.bsky.social · 3h

Hindu Right has an Israel envy. It is reflected in the desire to copy Israel's lobbying model in the US. That has failed miserably in the past few months.

In @themorningcontext.bsky.social I look at the reasons for this failure, where Modi wasted a decade of India's foreign policy energies.

When it comes to lobbying in the US, Indian-Americans are not Jewish Americans

India tried to build an Israel-style lobby in Washington, DC. But money, race and ideology have kept Indian-Americans from becoming a political force.

themorningcontext.com

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Reposted by Bessma Momani

AFP News Agency @en.afp.com · 3h

🇸🇩 A drone and artillery attack killed at least 60 people at a displacement camp in Sudan's El-Fasher on Saturday, activists said, as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces intensifies its assault on the besieged western city.
➡️ u.afp.com/Smbd

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Reposted by Bessma Momani

Matt Steinglass @mattsteinglass.bsky.social · 4h

“The jobs that low-skilled migrants do…let people in other parts of the economy take on more skilled work. Florence Jaumotte of the IMF and colleagues find that in rich countries a 1 pct pt rise in migrants’ share of the adult population ultimately raises GDP per person by 2%.”

Welcome to Zero Migration America

Closed borders will make the country smaller, poorer and less innovative

economist.com

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Reposted by Bessma Momani

Prospect Magazine @prospectmagazine.co.uk · 4h

“For two whole years we have watched, seemingly helpless, as so little has been done and words, shouted in opposition, have been rendered silent,” writes @aloner.bsky.social.

Two years that broke our world

Since the Hamas attack of 7th October, what remains of big ideals such as our shared humanity?

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk

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Reposted by Bessma Momani

The Economist @economist.com · 4h

A younger generation of autocrats have taken the reins. In Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso, military leaders have all changed the rules to cling to power.

Their toolkit includes repression, manipulation, populism and powerful friends

The new age of the African Big Man

Ageing autocrats are not a relic of a bygone age. They are a template for the future

econ.st

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Reposted by Bessma Momani

Jose Garcia @joseggarcia.bsky.social · 4h

Novartis is laying off thousands in the US and expanding their European workforce. Part of a larger trend in the life sciences.

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Reposted by Bessma Momani, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Nisrin Elamin @nisrinelamin.bsky.social · 6h

The Sudan Solidarity Collective is doing a big fundraising push to support our partners in El Fashir to support food distribution, evacuation and medications.

Please help us boost our support. Please share and donate 👇🏾 .

sudansolidarity.com

Home - Sudan Solidarity Collective

Solidarity with Sudan! Support the Emergency Response Rooms doing life saving work in Sudan by donating to the Sudan Solidarity Fund. Workshops4Sudan is a new fundraising initiative of the Sudan Solid...

sudansolidarity.com

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Reposted by Bessma Momani

Critical Threats Project @criticalthreats.bsky.social · 14h

Russian forces launched a large, combined drone and missile strike against Ukraine on the night of October 9 to 10, primarily targeting energy infrastructure and civilian targets. www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/rus...

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Reposted by Scott C. Doney, Gernot Wagner, Aaron Sojourner , and 2 more Scott C. Doney, Gernot Wagner, Aaron Sojourner, Scott A. Imberman, Bessma Momani

Itai Sher @itaisher.bsky.social · 17h

An excellent response by MIT’s President Sally Kornbluf rejecting the Trump compact.

Other universities should do the same.

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Reposted by Nancy Kanwisher, Joe R. Feagin, Joseph Schafer , and 3 more Nancy Kanwisher, Joe R. Feagin, Joseph Schafer, Bessma Momani, Daniel Kuehn, Aviel Roshwald

George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 @gtconway.bsky.social · 17h

"The University of Zurich said the married couple, who currently work at MIT, would join its economics faculty …. [They] will be moving … at a time when experts are warning that Trump's cuts to research funding and attacks on … freedoms could lead to a brain drain …."

www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/a...

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NightMar on Hicks Street, Part 4: The Rabbit’s Revenge @histoftech.bsky.social · 18h

The Virginia Senate just told UVA it’s not getting state funding if it accepts the compact since UVA exists to serve Virginia, its residents, & their interests—not be a tool of the federal govt. Scoop from our student newspaper, who’ve been doing vital reporting www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025...

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Reposted by Bessma Momani

Bassam Khawaja @khawaja.bsky.social · 21h

Egypt and Vietnam are on track to secure seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council despite being woefully unfit for membership. The UN General Assembly will elect members in a noncompetitive vote on October 14. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

UN: Abusive Governments Set to Win Rights Council Seats

Egypt and Vietnam are on track to secure seats on the United Nations Human Rights Council despite being woefully unfit for membership, Human Rights Watch said.

www.hrw.org

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Reposted by Bessma Momani

Dr Andreas Krieg @andreaskrieg.bsky.social · 21h

"A transition to sustainable peace in #Gaza lacks four elements: (1) a mutually hurting stalemate; (2) effective leadership on both sides; (3) committed international guarantors; and (4) a viable DDR program for disarmament amid an open-ended IDF withdrawal plan"
youtu.be/7GhxRS9ohgs

What is next for the Palestinian resistance movements? | Inside Story

YouTube video by Dr Andreas Krieg

youtu.be

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Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 1d

🙋‍♀️ same! Frankly it was all luck. Our new graduates are so hard on themselves and the competition gets fiercer and fierce. 😢

Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 1d

Congrats John!

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Nate Schenkkan @nateschenkkan.bsky.social · 1d

I’ll add that in the Venezuelan context (like the Cuban) it’s unsurprising that you’ll see mobilization *for democracy* coded within right-wing frames, given how the government portrays itself

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Reposted by Bessma Momani

"spooky sukkot" daniel s. @self.agency · 1d

The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Maria Corina Machado, has praised Donald Trump as a "visionary" and approves of his military attacks on Venezuelan civilians

Nobel Peace Prize winner hailed Trump as ‘visionary’ just days before her victory

Maria Corina Machado was given the award for promoting democracy in Venezuela and says that the US president is the country’s best chance for regime change

www.independent.co.uk

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Reposted by Bessma Momani

Dov Waxman @dovwaxman.bsky.social · 1d

The ceasefire in Gaza, now in effect, depends on the promise given by an inveterate liar and conman (Trump) to a ruthless terrorist organization (Hamas) that he will prevent another serial liar, conman, and war criminal (Netanyahu) from resuming the war:

Trump promised not to let Israel break Gaza ceasefire to get deal

Israel broke one ceasefire. Trump told the mediators he wouldn't let it happen this time.

www.axios.com

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Reposted by Bessma Momani

Andrew Downie @adowniebrazil.bsky.social · 1d

Venezuelan opposition leader is awarded the Nobel peace prize.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 1d

Nobel Peace Prize awarded to María Corina Machado on.ft.com/4nTWp5l

Nobel Peace Prize awarded to María Corina Machado

Win for Venezuela’s main opposition leader dashes the hopes of US President Donald Trump

on.ft.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

‘Massive’ Russian attack on Ukraine capital triggers blackouts and sets high-rise alight

Powerful blasts reported in Kyiv as missiles and drones target energy infrastructure, injuring nine The Ukrainian capital was plunged into darkness early on Friday by what the air force called a “massive attack”, as Russia pummelled Kyiv’s infrastructure, cutting off water and energy supplies and triggering a fire in a high-rise apartment building. Kyiv’s mayor said Russian forces had targeted “critical infrastructure” and nine people had been injured, with five of them taken to hospital. Vitali Klitschko also said power cuts and disruptions to the water supply had hit districts on the east bank of the Dnipro River that runs through the city. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 1d

Picture how big the Hoover Dam is. An absolute unit. The Hoover Dam has a power capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).

The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 1d

SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled

The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency

@heatmap.news

Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says

It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.

heatmap.news

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Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, David M. Schultz, Mary Feeney , and 12 more Richard S.J. Tol, David M. Schultz, Mary Feeney, Rosemary A. Joyce, Dustin Mulvaney, Gernot Wagner, Silvia Secchi, Bessma Momani, Henry Farrell, James Goodwin, Dana R. Fisher, Mark Rice, Leah Stokes, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, David Darmofal

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 1d

Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says

It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.

heatmap.news

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Reposted by Juan Cole, David R. Miller, Bessma Momani , and 1 more Juan Cole, David R. Miller, Bessma Momani, Simon Lester

max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 1d

New: Bari Weiss booked Hillary Clinton, Mike Pompeo, and Antony Blinken for a roundtable on Gaza, her first major move at CBS.

Notably on a CBS call today in which the panel was floated, one producer also repeatedly emphasized the need to hear from Palestinians in Gaza (Weiss did not respond).

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Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Gavin A. Schmidt, Bessma Momani , and 3 more Anne Applebaum, Gavin A. Schmidt, Bessma Momani, James Goodwin, Mark Rice, Henry Jones

NPR @npr.org · 2d

A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down. n.pr/3KIfcSn

This 4-year-old's heart is failing. A federal grant that might help him was canceled

A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.

n.pr

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Reposted by Will Jennings, Bessma Momani, Dana R. Fisher , and 1 more Will Jennings, Bessma Momani, Dana R. Fisher, Constance Bantman

Sarah Szalavitz💡 @dearsarah.bsky.social · 2d

Rutgers Professor @mark-bray.bsky.social, who studies & writes about Antifascism,Tries to Flee to Spain After Death Threats

By the time he & his family reached the gate, their tickets were cancelled.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/n... flagrantly & appallingly lawless. Hope he & his family are ok.

Rutgers Expert on Antifa Tries to Flee to Spain After Death Threats

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Bessma Momani

Monica Marks @monicamarks.bsky.social · 2d

Aid will finally surge into Gaza. The needs are massive.

Over 90% of Gaza’s housing has been destroyed by Israeli bombardment. That’s made 1.9 million homeless. They’re sleeping in hallways & garages of still-standing buildings. And they’re paying to “rent” tiny sand plots where they put up tents.

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Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 2d

Great blog. Thank you

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Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 2d

Life goals👇

The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 2d

Whether they’re about buying, selling or renovating, real-estate reality shows can’t happen without one crucial element: homeowners.

Here’s what to know before throwing your hat in the ring.

Do You Have What It Takes to Be on a Real-Estate Reality Show?

Before getting involved in one of the many renovation and house-hunting shows on television, know what you’re getting yourself into.

on.wsj.com

Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 2d

China’s “god’s-eyes view”

The Economist @economist.com · 2d

Digital surveillance grids are part of a tech-driven approach to make the country’s grassroots governance more efficient—but also more pervasive

Chinese officials boast a god’s-eye view of towns from above

Digital surveillance grids are meant to help solve local problems quickly. But they also track potential troublemakers

econ.st

Reposted by Bessma Momani

The Economist @economist.com · 2d

Digital surveillance grids are part of a tech-driven approach to make the country’s grassroots governance more efficient—but also more pervasive

Chinese officials boast a god’s-eye view of towns from above

Digital surveillance grids are meant to help solve local problems quickly. But they also track potential troublemakers

econ.st

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